Conveying apparatus.



No. 707.688. 7 Patented Aug. 26, 1902:. r w. FDBEMAN.

- CONVEYING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jun. 28, 1902.)

(N0 Model.)

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UNrrnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN- W. FOREMAN, OF HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA.

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 707,688, dated August26, 1902.

Application filed January 28,1902. Serial No. 91,561.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. FOREMAN, a citizen of theUnitedStates,residing at Healdsburg, in the county of Sonoma, State ofCalifornia,have invented an Improvement in Conveying Apparatus; and Ihereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for transportingburdens from one point to another by means of a carriage trav eling upona rigid track. Its object is to provide a means for loading andunloading vessels, for removing earth from excavations, and for usegenerally wherever a burden is to be picked up at one point andtransferred and deposited at another point. It is especially designed toengage and release the fallblock automatically at these points.

It consists of a rigid track, standards adjustable in length by whichthe elevation of said track may be varied, a carriage adapted to travelover said track, grip members upon said carriage by which a fall-blockmay be engaged, tripping devices upon the track whereby the members areautomatically opened to release the fall, means for holding the carriageafter the fall has been released, and means for moving the carriage.

It also comprises details, which will be more fully set forthhereinafter, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 shows a side elevation of my improved conveying apparatus. Fig.2 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 z of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is asectional view taken on the line a: :1: of Fig. 2. Fig. 4c shows theoperating mechanism of carriage. Fig. 5 is a top view of carriage. Fig.6 is a partial sectional and side elevation of bail of fall-block. Fig.7 shows the locking device for the adjustable standard.

A represents a two-rail track of any suitable length. Where used forunloading cargoes upon wharves from vessels lying alongside, this trackmay be made portable and adapted to be supported at one end from therigging,while the other end is supported upon the wharf by means of theadjustable standards B. These standards each consist of a channel-ironportion, in which a member 1) is slidable, the latter being held inplace by (No model.)

means of the straps 2 and the pawl 3. The members 5 are formed with thenotches 4. As they are moved outward to lengthen'the standards the pawlsengage the notches and lock the members 79 against being pushed in untilthe pawls are turned outward to free them from the notches. The deviceis thus applicable for varying conditions of tide, cargo, size of ship,&c., for it is intended that this track shall always be maintained on anincline, as the carriage C, which transports the burden, is intended torun by gravity in one direction.

The carriage G is suitably mounted upon the trucks 5 running upon thetrack. The body of the carriage depends between the rails and is in ameasure guided thereby and prevented from being derailed. The body ofthe carriage may be made of two plates, separated to form a space 6between them and suitably bolted together to forma rigid structure. Inthis space 6 the grip members which carry the fallblock 7 operate. Thesegrip members each consist of a jaw portion 8, pivoted to the carriage at9, provided with an upward and divergent extension 10 and provided alsowith a horizontal extension 11. The latter projects beyond the end ofthe carriage and carries a downwardly-extending projection 12. The jawsare normally held closed by means of springs 12; A bar or yoke 13 isfulcrumed at 14. to a plate on the top of the carriage, and the end ofeach arm 10 carriesa pin 15, which projects into a slot 16 in the bar,so that when the bar is oscillated on its fulcrum the arms are moved toopen the jaws and simultaneously raise the extensions 11. The functionof these latter will be explained later. The walls of the carriage maybe cut away, as at 17, in order to permit of the proper movement of thearms and bar. The under side of the carriage is transversely slotted, asat 18, to admit the bail 19 of the fall-block to the jaws. The walls ofthe slot 18 diverge, as shown, for the purpose of furnishing a suitableguide to the jaw-opening. Thejaws 10 may have their upper surfaces 10slightly concaved. Their lower edges 10 are curved, as shown, to permitthe bail 19 of the block 7 readily to be engaged. The horizontal portionof the bail is essentially triangular in cross section with the undersurface 19 slightly concaved, whereby there is no likelihood of the jawsbeing opened when a heavy load is hung thereon. The end of the fallrope,which also acts as a cable to move the load in one direction, issecuredto the carriage at 20. It thence passes down through theguide-plate 21. on the block 7 around the sheave therein, out againthrough the plate 21, and over apulley 22 in the carriage. From thenceit connects with any suitable source of power, as the drum of an engine.The relation of the point of attachment 20 and the pulley 22 to thejaw-opening is such that when the fall-block hangs below the carriage,supported only on the fall-line, the block and hail will always stand invertical alinement with the jaw-opening, so that when the line iswoundup the block will be raised and the bail enter the slot 18 andengage automatically with the jaws. The carriage, with its load, havingmoved along the track to the point of discharge, or,vice versa, thecarriage, relieved of its burden, has been moved to the loading-point,it is desired in either case to lower the fall either for loading orunloading purposes. This I accomplish automatically by means of tripperssecured upon the track and engaging the ends of the yoke 13. Thesetrippers are disposed one on one side and one on the opposite side andat either end of the track or wherever the respective loading andunloading points are. They each consist of a projection 23, rigidlysecured to the track and having a gravity-actuated pivoted arm 24, witha wedge-shaped portion 25, adapted to project into the path of the endof the yoke'13. The latter is obversely curved at the ends, as shown,and the opposite side of each end is provided with a short straight edgeportion 13, which contacts with the vertical portion 25 of an arm end 25as the carriage moves in one direction. A stop 26 prevents the arm 24from swinging beyond a vertical line as the carriage approaches from thedirection just indicated. The result is that the striking of the armagainst the vertical portion 25 causes the yoke 13 to oscillate,open thejaws, and release the fall-block. When the carriage returns by thistripper, the curved portion of the bar strikes the inclined portion 25of the arm turning the lattereasily and allowing the carriage to movepast without disturbing the jaws. I As the carriage runs by gravity inone direction, it is necessary to devise some means of holding itstationary at the highest point of the track while the fall is beingoperated. Hence the object of the horizontal arms 11 and projections 12.Adjacent to either of the fall points I provide a bar or other suitablecatch 26, with which the projections 12 may engage at the proper momentand hold the carriage against return until the arms 11 have been raised.

As has been seen, the oscillation of the yoke 13, the opening of thejaws, and the raising of these arms 11 are simultaneous. Accordingly,assuming the carriage to be at its highest point of travel and the falllowered to engage a burden, as the load is lifted the bail engages thejaws to open them and admit the bail. As this is done and the rope isslackened the weightot' the carriage, block, and burden is sufficient tocause the projection 12 to release its hold of the catch 26 and allowthe loaded carriage to move downward to its point of discharge, where itis tripped, as before described. When the block is again raised andtension put on the rope to haul the carriage upward, the catch 26 atthat end is released. The relative amount of move ment of the jaws andarms 11 is such that the act of releasing the projection 12 will notopen the jaws where the release is subsequent in point of time to theengagement of the bail in the jaws. As a matter of fact the engagementand release may be and frequently is simultaneous, so that as the jawsopen the arms 11 raise and the carriage moves on its journey in onedirection or the other, as the case may be.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. A conveying apparatus including, in combination, a rigid track;standards upon which said track may be supported; a carriage adapted totravel upon said track; a grip comprising pivoted members having armextensions; a pivoted yoke engaging said extensions and holding the gripmembers closed; a fall-block engaged by said grip; and a stop in thepath of the yoke for actuating the grip to release the fall-block at apredetermined point along the track.

2. The combination in a conveying apparatus of an inclined trackway, andsupports therefor; a carriage; a grip comprising opposing memberspivoted to the carriage and having radial arm extensions; a yoke pivotedbetween its ends and engaging said radial extensions, to hold the gripmembers closed; a fall-line having one end secured to the carriage; aburden-carrier to be raised and lowered by the fall-line and to beengaged by the grip members; and means by which the yoke is moved aboutits pivotal connection whereby the members of the grip may beautomatically opened at a predetermined point along said trackway.'

3. The combination in a conveying apparatus of a trackway; a carriage;means for advancing the same along the trackway; a grip on the carriageand including opposing pivoted members having radial arm extensions; ahorizontal holding member for said extensions said member pivotallymounted; a burden-carrier to be engaged by said grip members; and ameans for automatically tripping said member and causing it to open thegrip members at a point along the trackway.

at. The combination in a conveying apparatus, of a track, a carriagethereon, gripping members pivoted on said carriage, arm extensions onsaid members, a pivoted yoke connecting with said extensions, tripperson the track extendinginto the path of said yoke by which the gripmembers are opened and a fallline and a fall-block in connection withsaid carriage.

5. The combination in a conveying apparatus, of a track, a carriagethereon, gripping members pivoted on said carriage, divergent armextensions on said members, a yoke pivoted intermediate of said membersand engaging the ends of said arms, trippers disposed on opposite sidesof the track adjacent to the points of loading and unloading, saidtrippers extending into the path of the yoke by which the grip membersare opened, and a fall-line and a fall-block in connection with thecarriage.

6. The combination in a conveying apparatus of a track, a carriagethereon, grip members pivoted on the carriage, arms on said members bywhich the latter are moved to open, otherarms or extensions rigid withsaid members and means thereon for engaging a fixed support to hold thecarriage stationary and a fall-line and fall-block or burden-carrier inconnection with said carriage.

7. In a conveying apparatus, the combination of a track, a carriagehaving pivoted grip members thereon, arms on said members, a yokeconnecting said arms whereby they may be moved simultaneously to openthe jaws, means in the path of the yoke for tripping the same, and acable and fall in connection with said carriage.

8. In a conveying apparatus, the combination of a track, a carriagehaving grip members pivoted thereon, arms on said members, a yoke or barpivotally connected to each of said arms, and trippers having fixedpoints of supports adapted to extend into the path of said bar wherebythe latter may be oscillated and the grip members opened.

9. In a conveying apparatus, the combination of a track, a carriage,grip members pivoted thereon, arms on said grip members and meansincluding an oscillating member and a trip device in the path thereof bywhich said members may be automatically operated to open the jaws.

10. In a conveying apparatus the combina tion of acarriage having alongitudinal slot; a grip including opposing pivoted members havinghorizontal and vertical arm extensions lying within said slot; a yokeupon the carriage and engaging said vertical extensions; means fortripping the yoke to release the extensions; a fall line and blockattached to the carriage; and means carried by the block to be engagedby the grip members.

11. In a conveying apparatus, a fall-block having a rigid bail securedthereto, and means upon said block consisting of a point of attachmentat one side of the fall-block and a guide at the opposite side of thefall-block whereby said bail is made always to stand vertical when theblock is suspended upon the portion of the line or cable between saidpoint of attachment and guide.

12. In a conveying apparatus, the combination with the track and acarriage thereof, of afall-block, having a rigid bail, said bailincluding a horizontal portion essentially triangular in cross-sectionand adapted to engage grip members on said carriage and a line or cablesecured to said carriage at one side of the fall-block and aguide-pulley at the other side of the fall-block said line or cablepassing through said block and over said pulley by which the block israised and lowered and the carriage moved along the track.

13. In a conveying apparatus, a carriage having a longitudinal slot,grip members pivoted therein, vertical and horizontal arm extensions oneach of said members, a yoke connecting said vertical arms, andprojections upon said horizontal arms.

14. In a conveying apparatus, the combination with a track of a wheeledcarriage thereon, having a longitudinal slot-opening, jaws pivotedtherein,arms upon said jaws, a yoke pivotally connected with each arm,trippers having a fixed point of support, each of said trippersincluding a pivoted arm adapted to have one end extend into the path ofthe yoke and to engage and oscillate the yoke to open the jaws when thecarriage moves in one direction and said trip-arm adapted to allow theyoke to pass without disturbing the jaws when the carriage moves in theother direction.

15. In a conveying apparatus, the combination with a track, of acarriage having a longitudinal slot-opening, jaws pivoted therein,vertical and horizontal arm extensions on each of said members, means bywhich the latter are normally kept closed, means connected with thevertical arms whereby the jaws are moved in unison, tripping devicesupon the track whereby the movement of said jaws is automaticallyeffected, a fall-line attached to the carriage, a fall-block adapted tobe raised and lowered by said line, and means upon the track engagingsaid horizontal-arm extensions whereby the carriage may be heldstationary.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN W'. FOREMAN.

Witnesses:

FRANK A. MADEIRA, FRANK GUM.

